It’s September 11th. How are you doing? This day always conjures up so much for me and I’m sure I’m not alone. It’s a strange mixture of sadness, hope, gratefulness, community, peace, nostalgia and an eery but welcome calm. Like we all take a collective inhale and hold it longer than usual — hold each other longer than usual. In the everyday, it’s so easy to get swept up by the constant motion of life and busy-ness. But days like today are good to take a moment and reflect. Upon where we’ve been, where we are right here right now in this exact moment, and where we’re going, if we’re so lucky to have another day, month, year, decade, more. 

Rachael posted this video of her dad, who worked in the Pentagon, sharing his account of September 11th. It’s part of a series called Voices of 9.11. Have you heard of it? I hadn’t, but now I can’t stop watching. Over 500 personal video testimonies from people in New York, Shanksville, Washington DC and the Pentagon. Her dad’s account is so compelling. He speaks of the voice that spoke to him and told him to stop and not continue en route to his co-worker’s building. He listened and it saved his life. Do you listen to your inner voice?

I know I struggle with if and when I should listen to mine. But if days like September 11th teach us anything, listening to that voice inside your head is important. Life is short — sometimes much shorter than we expect — and it’s important to follow your voice and do what you were put on this planet to do. Whether it’s giving children better lives like Bob or helping people feel better about themselves like Laurie or making people laugh like Ross or making my life better in every way like Fred Baby. What were you put on this planet to do? Are you still trying to figure that out? That’s okay, so am I.

We’re not alone. I think most of us are trying to figure it out. And it takes some of us longer than others. What’s important is that we keep trying. This Bottoms-Up Joshua Tree calendar by Melissa of Marble Rye Photography, is a nice daily reminder for me. I can’t live without my Google calendar, but I still find myself yearning for something tangible. And there’s something beautiful and haunting — in a good way — to see all the days of your life (for the next year anyway) laid out in front of you. It’s a reminder of how quickly they go. A mere 30 or 31 days — or a meager 28 — just 12 times a year to accomplish what you want to accomplish, to do and live and see and be.

But it’s good that it’s short. Otherwise, we probably wouldn’t savor it. Or act on those whispers from our inner voices. Are you listening? What are they saying? I’d love to know…